MUSC Catalyst

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January 18, 2013

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 31, No. 21

Pavilion named in memory of oncologist, former director MUSC’s Hollings Cancer Center dedicated its pavilion during a ceremony on Jan. 9. It was named in honor of cardiothoracic surgeon, oncologist and former center director Carolyn E. Reed,

M.D., who died of cancer on Nov. 16. Andrew S. Kraft, M.D., the cancer center’s current director, spoke about Reed’s energy and drive during the dedication ceremony. “It was through her force of character working with Senator Ernest Hollings and others that we have this building to house and serve the cancer patients of South Carolina,” he said. Reed, who served as the center’s director from 2000 to 2004 and as associate director for medical affairs from 2004 to 2012, was integral to the development and success of the cancer center. During her tenure,

she was instrumental in acquiring a Cancer Center Planning Grant from the National Institutes of Health, a critical step in the path for the center to eventually be awarded NCI designation in 2009 and to become South Carolina’s only institution to attain this status. Reed once said her patients were her inspiration. “I believe too often we hide our emotion. I have promised myself that the day I no longer walk out of the hospital with tears in my eyes over the loss of a patient will be the day I quit medicine.” To honor her legacy, MUSC has established an endowed chair in her name. Donations can be sent to: The Carolyn E. Reed, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Thoracic Surgical Oncology, c/o MUSC Foundation, 18 Bee St., MSC 450, Charleston, S.C., 29425.

Excerpt from one of Carolyn Reed’s favorite poems, “A Psalm of Life,” by Henry Wadsorth Longfellow “Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each tomorrow find us farther than today. Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sand of time; photo by Anne Thompson, Digital Imaging

Dr. Carolyn Reed’s twin sister, Joyce Greenacre, joins Hollings Cancer Center director Dr. Andrew Kraft in commemorating the Dr. Carolyn E. Reed Pavilion, Jan. 9. Top photo: Reed during the building phase of the cancer center.

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Traffic LiTe SySTem The snack machines labeled with tabs are based on calories and saturated fat.

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Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solenm main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us then be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.”

exerciSe Good JudGmenT

2

Overheard at MUSC

Be skeptical when it comes to unexpected emails from an unfamiliar source.

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Meet Steven

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Classifieds

READ THE CATALYST ONLINE — http://www.musc.edu/catalyst


2 The CaTalysT, January 18, 2013

Overheard at MUSC Who

Quintiles has available,” Denmark said. “We also get a glimpse into the Quintiles pipeline for clinical trials that they are bidding on.” The Quintiles relationship means MUSC investigators may have a

Signe Denmark worked in transplant surgery research at MUSC before transferring to her current position as program manager of the Research Opportunity Core at the South

head start on enrolling patients into a trial before other institutions get

Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR). She

involved.

serves as the central contact for any industry sponsor or contract research organization that has an industry-funded study protocol and is looking for research site participation. Once contacted, Denmark reaches out to the appropriate investigator on campus, evaluates his or her interest and

chaLLenGeS Since joining the SCTR in October, Denmark has been busy making Signe Denmark connects research organizations and pharmaceutical companies to investigators and research groups at MUSC. She wants every researcher on campus to know she is available to help with budgeting for clinical trials, the contract process, matching study coordinators and any other study start-up activities.

and research groups at MUSC to determine their particular interest

contacts with the more than 500 investigators at MUSC. She came from an environment where she knew how research within her department worked. Now she has to learn the main research contacts in all of the departments and find out

areas and their research needs. She

results driven. “Time is money,” she said. “The quicker and more efficiently I

also networks with contract research organizations and pharmaceutical companies to explore new study

can identify an investigator that is interested and has the patient population to support a clinical

“I am in the relationship-building stage,” she said. “I want to be able to identify opportunities by

trial, the more competitive MUSC

daiLy acTiviTieS

opportunities. When she finds a new clinical trial, the race to find

understanding investigators’ unique needs and interests to build a track

Denmark meets with investigators

an investigator is time sensitive and

works to get the study started. Her office also helps match investigators who are interested but don’t have the research staff or space available to successfully execute the research protocol.

Editorial of fice MUSC Office of Public Relations 135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C, Charleston, SC 29425. 843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Kim Draughn catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Cindy Abole, aboleca@musc.edu Ashley Barker, barkera@musc.edu

The Catalyst is published once a week. Paid adver tisements, which do not represent an endorsement by MUSC or the State of South Carolina, are handled by Island Publications Inc., Moultrie News, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C., 843-849-1778 or 843-958-7490. E-mail: sales@moultrienews.com.

is for large research opportunities and future study funding.”

about their processes.

record of success.”

BiGGeST ProJecT

GoaL

MUSC was recently made

Denmark wants every researcher on campus to know that she is available to help with identifying clinical trial

an official partner site with Quintiles, a contract research organization that “helped develop or commercialize all of the top 50 best-selling drugs on the market,” according to the company’s website. “As a partner site, MUSC is one of the first sites to evaluate new clinical trial opportunities that

opportunities, budgeting for clinical trials, writing contracts, matching study coordinators and any other study start-up activities. Denmark’s office is located at 125 Doughty St., suite 100, and she can be reached at 792-4146 or denmarks@musc.edu.


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CUrrentS Jan. 15 People–Fostering employee pride and loyalty Employee of the Month q Willette Smith, Business Development & Marketing Services, was recognized for her work in assisting the department’s student intern in organizing and preparing a direct mail project. q Jocelynn Reece, HCC Scheduling, was praised for assisting nursing staff and calming a confused infusion patient. q Randy Pilsch, R.N., 9E, was recognized for ensuring the safety of patients when another agitated patient began being destructive on the unit. Pilsch secured patient rooms and staff work areas. Human Resources update Helena Bastian, HR director, reported on the following information: Status change/wage reduction notification — employees who reduce hours, have a shift change or have a wage reduction must sign a status change/ wage reduction notification. q Open enrollment for State Optional Retirement Program (ORP) participants — Jan. 1 to March 1. For information, contact Mark Stimpson, stimpso@musc. edu or Cindy Locklair, locklaic@musc. edu or call 800-868-9002. q Employees can now access their W-4 forms, review their withholdings, etc. Employees should sign the form and submit it to HR. q SuccessFactors – 360 Staff Peer Review can be conducted any time between January and July; recommend to include about 10 raters; classroom training scheduled (January through March); visit the MUHA intranet for information; high/solid/low conversations are due Feb. 28. q Policy #29 – Time and Attendance Additions – Salaried (exempt) employees may be required to clock in and out for attendance purposes utilizing their ID badges; PTO usage for working on a designated holiday – Employee should submit a request for leave form to the supervisor for documentation purposes;

Employees are required to submit a Request for Leave form indicating educational time to the supervisor; in order to be paid properly, employees who work during a lunch period or whose lunch is interrupted should submit a time entry form to their manager to be paid for the lunch period q Policy #4 – Employment: Section C — Qualifications: An employee must be in his or her current position a minimum of six months and be in good standing without any disciplinary action before he or she is eligible to apply for a transfer. The six-month waiting requirement may be waived if the position is being adversely affected due to position elimination. The employee’s manager may waive this requirement. Section J — Waiting Period: SCRS, PORS, and SCORP retirees who did not participate in the TERI program must wait 30 consecutive calendar days before returning to employment. Failure to wait will result in the suspension of retirement payments while the retiree remains re-employed by the covered employer. Section K — Salary of Post-Retirement/ Post-TERI employees: Based on rules of the SCRS and PORS, there may be earning limitations associated with postretirement or post-TERI re-employment q Policy #18 — Paid Time Off: Effective Jan. 27, all eligible employees will accrue PTO and Extended Sick Leave (ESL). PTO and ESL accrual maximums that can carry over into the new calendar year will remain the same. For the updated tables, visit http:// mcintranet.musc.edu/hr. Wellness update Susan Johnson, Ph.D., Office of Health Promotion, confirmed that effective March 1, the use of tobacco products will be prohibited on all streets and sidewalks within the medical district as defined by the City of Charleston ordinance as well as all property owned or leased by MUSC. The benefit of the month is weight management featuring lunch time losers, MUSC Moves!, weekly Zumba and

To Medical Center Employees: Several weeks ago, Dr. Raymond Greenberg, MUSC president, asked that I serve as interim executive director, MUSC medical center, following Stuart Smith’s retirement. I am honored to serve in this capacity during the transitional period until a “permanent” replacement is on the job. I retired as chief executive officer of Palmetto Health several years ago, but I continue to be involved in health care in various capacities. I have always had great admiration for Dr. Greenberg, and I am deeply committed to MUSC’s noble mission. During the past few weeks, I have absorbed a great deal of information, and I have shared my observations and suggestions with leaders throughout MUSC. I feel confident the MUSC clinical enterprise is taking the right steps to formulate a broad-based action plan to address the financial and other challenges being faced by MUSC and the heath-care industry. It is a pleasure to work with everyone. Thank you very much. Kester Freeman Interim Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Lunch and Learn events. Visit http://www.musc.edu/ employeewellness.

Quality – Providing quality patient care in a safe environment

Walter Limehouse, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, reviewed details of a new policy related to public health emergencies and allocation of resources which originally grew from a statewide initiative that preceded the H1N1 pandemic flu situation. The policy was originally intended for use during the pandemic flu but was expanded for use in all public health emergencies. According to Limehouse, for a public health triage the focus is routinely on treating individuals. In a disaster triage and public health emergency, the focus shifts from individuals to community in an effort to safeguard maximum lives. The governor is the primary person to implement this policy using the Emergency Health Powers Act during a state of emergency. This policy is an element of MUSC’s clinical services

disaster plan and focuses on resource allocation. A resource allocation team will work in parallel with the center’s incident command center.

Service – Serving the public with compassion, respect and excellence

Brian Fletcher, R.N., Clinical Services Disaster Preparedness program manager, reminded managers to review their department or unit’s emergency response plan (also a Joint Commission requirement). Any changes must be listed, dated and initialed on a review/ change notice sheet. Non-changes should be initialed and recorded. All changes should be discussed with staff. To confirm each employee’s understanding of this, staff must complete an attestation form. Completed forms should be placed in each unit’s plan binder. All forms can be found in MUHA’s emergency management toolbox. Deadline to complete the forms is Jan. 31. Announcement q Pam Marek, Decision Support analyst, announced the URL change of Action OI . The new link is https:// actionwwoi.truvenhealth.com. q The next meeting is Feb. 5.


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Meet Steven

Steven Swift, M.D. Department OB/GYN How long at MUSC 19 years How are you changing what’s possible at MUSC By providing high quality care for women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. I am also working to provide a robust educational experience for students, residents and colleagues. Children Dylan, Brooks and Taylor (yes, my daughter is Taylor Swift but she is 14 and was named before the famous Taylor Swift hit it big). Music in your player right now Grateful Dead Europe ‘72 Who in history would you like to meet Jesus Christ. I would like to meet a “living God.” Favorite restaurant Al Di La Favorite place in the world Italy Meal you love to cook Italian braised meats Unique talent Furniture maker


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Extra nickel for unhealthy snacks going to Heart Health program By ashley Barker Public Relations

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he price of the not-so-healthy snacks in the vending machines on campus increased by 5 cents recently, but the extra nickel isn’t going to the vending company. It is being allocated to the MUSC Children’s Hospital’s Heart Health program, which focuses on pediatric weight management. In 2008, Janet Carter, a Sodexo dietitian and manager of the Heart Health program, began MUSC’s traffic lite system. After a successful pilot program in the university hospital’s cafeteria, Carter started the arduous process of labeling each item in all 45 snack machines on campus with a green, yellow or red tab. Green items are the healthy choices, with less than 7 percent of total calories coming from saturated fat, less than 35 percent coming from total fat and less than 140 calories. Yellow items have 7 to 10 percent of total calories coming from saturated fat, 35 to 39 percent coming from total fat and 141 to 210 calories. Red items, the least healthy, have more than 10 percent of total calories coming from saturated fat, have at least 40 percent coming from total fat and have 211 or more calories. Pretzels are given a green or yellow tab depending if they have more or less than 450 mg of sodium. Nuts and seeds also

have a different ranking system because of the fat content: green choices have less than 10 percent saturated fat, yellow choices have 10 to 15 percent and red choices have more than 15 percent. After the signage was in place, Carter worked with University Health Promotions, the Business Services Department and Coastal Canteen Vending and Food Services Inc. to add a 5-cent surcharge to each item that was labeled red. The surcharge has been in place for a few months now, and already the Heart Health program is receiving an average of $700 a month, according to Carter. The money is being used to buy “the odds and ends that aren’t covered by the other sources of funding, such as the Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness,” she said. The surcharge, though, is not meant to raise money for the program. “Even though the money for the red items is coming back to a good cause, we don’t want to encourage people to buy the red items,” Carter said. “We do want them to know that the 5-cent surcharge isn’t just going into the pot.” To be objective, vending prices are maintained at or below market prices to absorb the impact of the applied surcharge, according to Roy Dingle, manager of support and contract services. “It is in the interest of MUSC to promote and encourage the choice of foods and beverages that are consistent

Tommy Jones, a Coastal Canteen Vending and Food Services Inc. employee, restocks a vending machine at MUSC and updates the products with appropriate green, yellow or red labels. The company is now required to have at least 25 percent of each machine on campus stocked with healthy items.

“Even though the money for the red items is coming back to a good cause, we don’t want to encourage people to buy the red items. We do want them to know that the 5-cent surcharge isn’t just going into the pot.” Janet Carter with the growth and development of healthier eating habits,” he said. Overall product sales have increased during the past year, Dingle said. “The trends are that red product sales have remained flat over the past two years with seasonal fluctuations considered. One implication of this observation is that there has been an increase in sales in yellow and green products,” he said. “Increased sale of ‘healthier’ products — yellow or green items — is the program goal.” Also a part of the contract MUSC

has with the vending company is the requirement to have at least 25 percent of each traditional machine stocked with healthy items. In addition, the contract includes space to establish 100 percent healthy choices at specific locations. “MUSC and President Dr. {Ray] Greenberg have a very wellness-focused path,” Carter said. “In general, I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about there being healthier items available.” For more information about the traffic lite system, contact Carter at 792-4717 or catjan@musc.edu.



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Dedicated oral surgeon, educator remembered By Cindy aBole Public Relations

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nown for his compassionate care of patients, dedication and commitment to teaching dental students and residents, Durwood Bach, DMD, died Jan. 1. The professor and chairman in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the James B. Edwards College of Dental Bach Medicine was 63. Bach served as associate dean for hospital affairs and graduate programs within the college and came to MUSC in June 1995 following a national search. Under Bach’s leadership, the four-year program grew and was nationally recognized for its training and quality patient care. In 2012, the program was fully reaccredited by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery without recommendations. Bach, a retired Army colonel and diplomate on the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, also was head of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A Maryland native, Bach was born April 3, 1949. He

was a 1971 graduate of Clemson University and received his dental degree from the University of the Maryland School of Dentistry. He completed a maxillofacialcosmetic surgery fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After joining the U.S. Army Medical Department, he served as director of residency training in advanced educational programs and was a consultant to the Surgeon General for oral and maxillofacial surgery. Additionally, he held a faculty appointment at the Uniform Services Medical School at Bethesda Army/ Navy Medical Center. Bach held memberships with the American College of Dentists, American Dental Association, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and Association of Military Surgeons. Bach is survived by his wife, Kathy; mother, Caroleen Bach; son, Jeffrey; daughters, Karli and Kami and other family. Memorials can be made in Bach’s memory to the Clemson Fund, Clemson University, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, S.C., 29633-9972. A service will be held at noon, Jan. 24 at St. Luke’s Chapel. Interment will take place in Honolulu. “Dr. Bach was the hardest working clinician that I have

known in my 40 years of practice. His clinical skills and experience were without equal. His skills and devotion to his profession will be clearly missed. His spirit will live on in the scores of residents that he inspired and so capably trained.” —John J. Sanders, DDS, professor and dean, James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine “Dr. Bach was the hardest working and most dedicated person I have ever met. He committed his life to his patients and to the residents that trained under him. I am thankful for the opportunities he gave me and that I had the privilege to work with him.” —Sarah Proulx Donald, DMD, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery resident “It was an honor and privilege to know and work with Dr. Bach for 17 years in oral and maxillofacial surgery.” —Susan Privitera, College of Dental Medicine ““Dr. Bach was the most compassionate person that I have ever met. Not only was he greatly trusted by his patients but well loved by the staff. His stories were legendary, and he could brighten your day with a smile. He was a hero for many people and could treat many

See Surgeon on page 9


The CaTalysT, January 18, 2013 9

surgeon Continued from Page Eight patients that couldn’t be treated by anyone else.” —Elizabeth Swain, College of Dental Medicine “I worked with Dr. Bach for almost 17 years. Although he was our boss, he always was very good to his staff. Never once had he ever raised his voice or ever was unkind. He always remembered what was going on in our lives, was always concerned, and always gave us good advice. I will miss his laughter, his wit and all the love he always gave us.” —Casandra Daniels, College of Dental Medicine “As I mourn for Dr. Bach and his family, I remember the great man he was. I admired his dedication to oral and maxillofacial surgery, to his patients and to teaching of the residents. I imagine Dr. Bach is in heaven, with the beauty of Hawaii surrounding him, playing his ukulele dressed in Clemson attire.” —Debbie Stevens, R.N., Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery “Dr. Bach was a talented surgeon

whose contributions to the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery have been internationally recognized. His role in the education of residents and students will remain an enduring legacy.” —Kelley S. Lybrand, DDS, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dental Medicine “Dr. Bach was a ‘surgeon’s surgeon’ and treated health care professionals and their families for his surgical expertise and expert analysis on Clemson football. He will be missed by our students, residents, staff and patients.” —Tariq Javed, DMD, professor and associate dean for academic and student affairs, College of Dental Medicine “Dr. Bach dedicated his life to helping patients and training residents. I have known him for the past nine years where he taught me everything I know about oral and maxillofacial surgery, and more importantly, many aspects of life. He was the hardest working individual I had ever met and his presence in my life will never be forgotten.” —M. Kinon Lecholop, DMD, assistant professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery


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Know source before opening emails By riChard gadsden Office of the CIO As a general rule, unexpected email messages from unfamiliar sources should not even be opened. With these messages, the question of whether to click on embedded links or attachments should not come up. You should simply delete the messages from your inbox without opening them. On the other hand, your MUSC job duties may require you to open some email messages from unfamiliar sources. If so, you still should not open every message from every unfamiliar source. If you can tell, just by looking at the sender’s address and subject, that a message is just garden variety spam or potentially something more malicious, then you should delete it without opening it. It is not worth your time, and it is not worth putting yourself and the security of your computer at risk. If you are not sure whether to open a specific message from an unfamiliar source, consult your supervisor. If there is an unexpected email message from an unfamiliar source that your job duties require you to open and read, then you need to examine it with a critical eye. Be skeptical. If the email turns out to be a commercial solicitation from an organization or business that you do not have an established relationship with, just delete it and forget it. If they are willing to stoop to spamming potential customers, how can

you trust anything they say, much less, any embedded links or attachments in their message? Now let’s assume you’ve received a message from an unfamiliar source and you've opened it because your job duties require you to. You’ve read enough of the message to conclude that it is not spam, and it really does require your continued attention. Now, you are at the point where you need to evaluate the risk of clicking on any embedded links or opening any attachments. With embedded links, depending on what software you are using to read your email, you can generally maneuver your mouse over the link so see the URL before clicking on it. If the URL is not a familiar website that you trust, don’t click on the link without contacting the sender to verify that it is authentic. With attachments, you need to exercise reasonable care. Malicious code can be embedded in many types, including PDF, Microsoft Office and image files. Opening any attachment carries some risk of exposing your computer to being compromised by malware. You are MUSC’s most important line of defense against this threat. As a general rule, unexpected attachments – even from familiar sources – should not be opened blindly. The risks can be mitigated somewhat by keeping all the software on your computer updated with security patches. But this does not eliminate the risk. You still need to exercise good judgment.

Child care survey coming in email MUSC’s Childcare Committee would like to notify all MUSC employees, Medical University Hospital Authority employees and students to be aware of a Childcare Needs Assessment Survey that will be coming to your email inbox on Jan. 17. The email from Mark Sothmann, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and provost, will direct each user to an online survey that aims to evaluate the child care needs of the MUSC community with regard to hours of availability, proximity to campus and costs. All data collected

is completely anonymous, and the deadline to complete the survey is Thursday, Jan. 31. The MUSC Childcare Committee is committed to improving access to high-quality, convenient and affordable child care for the MUSC community, and your input is greatly appreciated. The committee has partnered with professionals in the field to evaluate current needs and has also revamped MUSC’s child care website. For more information, visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/ childcare/.


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Rooms For Rent 1 furn. BR/BA on Daniel Is. Minimum 6 mo. lease or longer. 600.00/mo. 843-834-6267

Misc. Services Basic Lawn Care Reasonable Rates Greg 843 303-2615

Items for Sale

Full-Size Whirlpool Cabrio W/D. Top of the line, in great shape. $750/OBO. Jackie (23071) for info.

Nominations for diversity awards being accepted

MUSC’s Office of Student Diversity is accepting nominations for the Earl B. Higgins Award 2013. Nominations are being accepted for two separate awards: The Achievement in Diversity Award and Student Leadership in Diversity Award. Electronic submissions

burnham@musc. to edu are recommended. However, packets may also be submitted via fax and mail. For more information, call or e-mail Willette S. Burnham, M.Ed., executive director for student programs in the Office of Student Diversity, at burnham@ musc.edu or 792-2146.


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